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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1962-11-26PLANNING BOARD MEETING November 26, 1962 The Lexington Planning Board held a regular meeting in its office, Town Office Building, on Monday, November 26, 1962 at 7:40 P.M. Present were Chairman Grindle, Members Bryson, Campbell, Mabee and Meyer, and Planning Director Snow. The Board approved the minutes of its November MINUTES 19, 1962 Planning Board meeting, In connection with the Countryside rezoning rroposal outlined in the November 19 minutes, Mr. REZONING Snow was requested to draft for the Chairman's sig- PROPOSAL nature a letter to the Board of Selectmen asking that it insert in the warrant for the next town COUNTRYSIDE meeting an article in regard to amending the zoning by-law (see addendum). Considered were the following Form A, applica- tions for Planning Board jurisdiction: FORMS A x#62-81+, submitted November 231 1962 by John J. Sullivan, agent for Clarissa A. Francis; plan entitled Plan of Land in Lexington and Winchester -Mass.", Scale: 1" = 50', dated Oct. 151, 19621, John J. Sullivan, Surv. Note: The above plan consisted of two sheets. #62-85, submitted November 26* 1962 by Bernard C. Maloney; plan entitled "A Subdivi- sion of Land Court Case No. 12100 Land in Lexington, Mass.", Scale: 1" = 1+01, dated Nov. 9, 1962, Miller and Nylander, C.E.'s & Surveyors. It was moved, seconded and unanimously VOTED: that the Lexinnton Planning Board determines that the plans accompanying Form A applica- tions #:962-84 and 4162-85 do not require approval under the subdivision Control Law, and that said plans be so endorsed. The Bowser's Saddle Club Estates, Sec. 2, and Adams Estates, Sec. 3 definitive subdivision plans BOWSER'S were endorsed, there having been no appeal received SADDLE CLUB during the 20 -day period after notice had been sent ESTATES, to the Town Clerk. Mr. Snow was requested to give SEC. 2 the endorsed plans to the Town Counsel to be held it -26-62 -2- ADAMS for recording after the latter had received from Todd ESTATES Realty, Inc. and John W. Castoldi, Inc. grants of ease - SFC. 3 ments in the respective subdivisions. A telephone call was received from Mr. Gray, LEXINGTON- Chairman of the Winchester Planning Board, request- WTYCHESTER Ing that renresentatives of the Lexington Planning TOWN LINE Board and Board of Selectmen meet in joint session on December 3 with the respective Winchester boards to discuss the proposal for relocating a section of the Lexington -Winchester town line (see minutes of Planning Board meeting of November 5, 1962). Mr. Snow was asked to discuss the -proposal with the Lex- ington Board of Selectmen later in the evening and also to represent the Lexington Planning Board at the joint meeting to be held on December 3. Read to the Board was a letter, dated Novem- MEMDUM LAND ber 25, 1962, from Willis C. Mendum acknowledging FOR receipt of the Planning Director's letter of October RECREATIONAL 19 and stating that he was having a property PURPOSES appraisal made and as soon as this had been com- pleted would give the Board a definite reply to its, offer to purchase a part of the land for recreational purposes. In connection with the endorsement of the plan ROSSETTI accompanying Form A application #62-84, it was noted LAND FOR that the land shown on said plan was part of that RECREATIONAL land which the assessors' map indicated belonged to PURPOSES Anthony M. Rossetti. This being the case, Mr. Snow was asked to prepare for the Board's consideration at its next meeting the draft of a letter to Mr. Rossetti revising the Board's written offer based on the 19 acres of land It was originally under- stood the Rossettis owned in Lexington. (See min- utes of the Planning Board meeting of October 20, 1962.) Mr. Snow was also asked to obtain additional KIDDER information in regard to the land shown on the plan LAND FOR endorsed by the Board known as the former Kidder RECREATIONAL property, with the view of drafting a letter to see PURPOSES if whoever actually owned this property would be willing to sell it to the town for public recreational purposes. With reference to the Selectmen's letter of CENTER November 13 to the Planning Board (see minutes of PLAYGROUND Planning Board meeting of November lq, 1962), Mr. Snow gave a brief review of the previous studies he had made for facilities for the central playground and adjacent areas as shown on a plan entitled "Gen- it -L6-62 -3- eral Development Plan - Central School and Recrea- tional Area," dated September 15, 1960. There was then distributed copies of a letter, dated November 8, from the Standing School Building Committee to the Board of Selectmen and another letter, dated November 20, from the Selectmen to the -Recreation Committee in regard to a proposed joint meeting of interested committees to discuss what recreational facilities might be related to the high school build- ing project and whether or not these facilities and the lane on which they might be located was to be placed under the jurisdiction of the School Committee. Mr. Snow reported that at the request of Messrs. Kelly and Sparrow and of Mr. Zuelke of the Architects Collaborative, the firm engaged in design- ing the high school addition, he had held conferences with them in regard to the above matters. He said that he had recommended to them, as he had in the past, that all the land in the Center Playground be- tween Worthen Road and Clarke and Waltham Streets from the high school to the town swimming pool be placed under jurisdiction of the School Committee as a high school physical education facility with the provisions that (1) the permanent team sports facilities - football, baseball and hockey - be located on the area now used for the dump and that (2) a loop road be built from Parker Street to Muzzey Street eliminating Park Drive from Muzzey to Waltham Streets. He said he believed the Recreation Committee was in favor of such proposal and would present it at the joint meeting referred to above of the Recreation, School and Standing School Building Committees with the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Snow stated that if such a proposal were agreed upon he believed Mr. Zuelke, a landscape architect, could prepare - if a contract with the :Architects Collaborative so provided - a recreational facilities plan with a view of obtaining state aid for the capital expenditures which would be involved in connection with the high school building project. Mr. Snow also reported Messrs. Kelly and Sparrow were very much in favor of the proposal to .acquire a portion of the C. Henry Jackson land recom- mended for playground and other public purposes re- ferred to in the Planning Board minutes of September 11, 1061. Mr. Snow said that he understood they wished to discuss this matter In detail at said joint ' meeting. The Planning Board suggested that Mr. Snow have r-epared and sent to the Recreation Committee for its use a complete set of Planning Board corres- nondence and recommendations in regard to the acquisi- 11-26-62 -4- Arthur E. Bryson, Jr. Clerk L tion of said Jackson land. ' At the request of the Board Mr. C.T.Morris BOARD OF of the Itek Corporation met with the Board from 8x50 APPT]4LS to 9:15 p.m. to discuss with it the corporation's application for a finding and determination that its ITE{ proposed location of a new building on Maguire Road will constitute a suitable development and will not result In substantial detriment to the neighborhood. At the conclusion of the discussion and after.Mr. Morris had left the meeting, the Board dictated notes from which Mr. Snow was asked to prepare for the Chairman's signature a letter to the Board of Appeals setting; forth the Planning Board's final report and recommendations in regard to said application. (See addendum.) Mr. Mabee reported that during the vast week T.M.M.A. Messrs. Eric T. Clarke and Leslie H. York of a Town Meeting Members Association committee came to his residence for the purpose of obtaining informa- tion on what the Board was doing in the way of planning and for the purpose of offering to assist the Board in the dissemination of this information. (See minutes 'of planning Board meeting of September 10, 1962.) Mr. Mabee stated that he'had informed them of the general contents and subject matter of ' the summary report which the Board was preparing for distribution to town officials and to town meeting members. The remainder of the meeting was devoted to a presentation by Mr. Snow of his studies of the general business districts, his proposal for an ex- pansion"of the central business district, and a gen- eral discussion by the Board of these matters. The Board adjourned its meeting at 10:30 p.m. Arthur E. Bryson, Jr. Clerk L 1 11-26-62 ADDENDUM Board of Selectmen Town Office Building Lexington 73, Massachusetts Re: Countryside, Inc. Gentlemen: -5- November 28, 1962 The planning Board requests that there be placed in the warrant for the next town meeting an article to see if the town will vote to amend the zoning by-law so as to change certain land from a one -family district to a local business district in accordance with the attached copy of a petition. Through a misunderstanding the principal involved failed to .have an article placed in the warrant for the 1962 annual town meeting. In subsequent correspondence with the prin- cipal's attorney the Planning Board agreed that it would place -an article in the warrant for the next town meeting to see if the town will rezone an additional lot of land to be added to the Countryside, Inc. property. In placing the article in the warrant it is understood that the Planning Board will not present the article at the town meeting but that Mr. H. Irving Currier will have some town meeting member do so or ask for permission for his attorney to appear on the floor to speak in behalf of the proposed amend- ment. Sincerely yours, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman Fnc . cc: Town Counsel with enclosure November 30, 1962 Board of Appeals Town Office Building Lexington 73, Massachusetts Re: Itek Cor oration application October 30, 1962 Gentlemen: In response to your letter of November 2, 1962, the Planning ' Board submits herewith its final report and recommendations with reference to the application, dated October 30, 1962, and signed by Mr. C. T. Morris for the Itek Corporation. A copy 11-26-62 -6- of this application and the two prints accompanying the , same are being returned to you with this report, the prints being issued October 25, 1962s one being marked Drawing No. 0-1s entitled "Site Plan - Roof Plan & Build- ing Details," and undated; the other being marked Drawing No. M 1, entitled "Master Plans" and dated May 12, 1960. You will recall that the Planning Board sent you on July 9, 1962 a report in regard to a similar application of the Itek Corporation, Since that time the Board has met with representatives of said corporation, taken a detailed view of the site of the proposed building and informed these representatives thats if the Itek Corporation wished to submit to the Board of Appeals a new applications the Planning Board - if requested to do so - would consider this application on the basis of_its own merits. The Planning Board recommends in this case that the Board of Appeals take favorable action on the application, dated October 30, 1962, and in accordance with the site plan shown on Drawing No. 0-1 referred to above. In making this recommendation the Planning Board recognizes that the Itek Corporation could have obtained a building permit for the proposed building from plans which were prepared while the Planning Board was in turn conferring with theppronertq owners in the then existing light manufacturing district ' and preparing for final consideration a draft of zoning by-law amendment which would require a minimum front yard depth of 100 feet in a CM 1 district. In making this recommendation also the Board recognizes that there exists only one lots a comparatively narrow ones between the proposed Itek building site and the Bed- ford -Lexington town line and that because of this situa- tion only a comparatively small building can be located on this lot. It is believed that if such a building were built on this lot that the building would serve as a trans- ition between the CM district in Lexington and the resi- dential district in Bedford. A third point the Planning Board has considered is the statement Mr. Morris made to this Board, that the proposed building would be of comparatively low profile, only two stories in height, about the same as the existing environ- mental laboratory to which it would be attached in the rear and about one story lower than the existing laboratory building now paralleling Maguire Road. In discussing the Itek Corporation proposal with Mr.Morris he volunteered to give the Board of Appeals a letter stat- ' ing in effect that at no time in the future would a variance from the zoning by-law ,yard regulations be sought by the Itek Corporation on its CM 1 land. The Planning Board 11-26-62 -7- suggests that in connection with any action the Board of Appeals may take on the application under discussion that a letter containing the above statement be obtained. It is suggested also that before any notice of a proposed hearing on the Itek Corporation application be published or sent to abutting property owners Mr. Morris be given an opportunity to amend the present application to include some reference to a variance which is in fact being sought. It is thought that this should be done not only to protect the Itek Corporation's rights but those of anyone else who might have an interest in the Itek proposal. Anyone read- ing a notice as set forth in the present application would have no idea that a variance is involved. Sincerely, LEXINGTON PLANNING BOARD /s/ Thomas S. Grindle, Chairman C�